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Advice/info as regards labouring/construction

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  • 11-02-2011 12:00pm
    #1
    8uahg957pc2mev
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi folks

    Just after a bit of info. I'm in Melbourne, arrived recently and have found casual warehouse work. I'm not complaining, money is money. Though I hate being cooped up inside in the warehouse/factory. Mind numbing work. Plus I'm getting hardly any hours.

    Chatted to a bloke in the pub a week or so ago. He was telling me to go for construction work. I have never worked on a site before and as such was a bit hesitant to go for it when I first arrived; lack of experience and all that. He filled me in on getting my white/red card and then going round the visible sites in the city and asking the project manager if there was any work going.

    Is there anything else I should know? What are the chances of finding work as an unskilled labourer? Is there a shortage of labouring work at the moment? I'm not afraid of hard graft. Have sweated balls for 12 hrs/day labouring on farms in 30-40 degree heat. I'm just wondering if anyone else (perhaps in a similar situation, without experience) has any advice or can share knowledge from their experiences. Or anyone really with any info.

    Much appreciated.


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    #2
    rightyabe
    Registered Users Posts: 812 ✭✭✭rightyabe


    Just throwing it in here but i'm sure the Brisbane area is looking for any kind of help to clean up the mess from the floods....


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    #3
    bourgeois
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25 ✭bourgeois


    Annie Flat Newscaster wrote: »
    Hi folks

    Just after a bit of info. I'm in Melbourne, arrived recently and have found casual warehouse work. I'm not complaining, money is money. Though I hate being cooped up inside in the warehouse/factory. Mind numbing work. Plus I'm getting hardly any hours.

    Chatted to a bloke in the pub a week or so ago. He was telling me to go for construction work. I have never worked on a site before and as such was a bit hesitant to go for it when I first arrived; lack of experience and all that. He filled me in on getting my white/red card and then going round the visible sites in the city and asking the project manager if there was any work going.

    Is there anything else I should know? What are the chances of finding work as an unskilled labourer? Is there a shortage of labouring work at the moment? I'm not afraid of hard graft. Have sweated balls for 12 hrs/day labouring on farms in 30-40 degree heat. I'm just wondering if anyone else (perhaps in a similar situation, without experience) has any advice or can share knowledge from their experiences. Or anyone really with any info.

    Much appreciated.

    Get your cards, get an ABN, get a car, register with some of the agencies looking for labourers. Keep an eye on gumtree, classified ads in The Age, Herald, local papers, etc always looking for labourers on that. Don't worry about not having worked on a site before-if anyone asks tell em you worked on a site in Ireland for 6 months or if the agencies ask tell them 12 months. If you say you never worked on a site before your only giving them a reason not to employ you. Don't go into too much detail about what you did-tell em you helped out a brickie or moving tiles around a site!

    Biggest thing I would say is get a car. Plenty of work out there as day labourers. If someone is screwing you over you'll have more chance of picking up work elsewhere if you got wheels. Plus you could get someone to split the fuel costs with you.


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    #4
    s.c
    Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭s.c


    Try and get into a union company. Better pay and conditions.

    Have a look here. There's a list of companies in there too. Pretty sure they are all union.

    Toorak Formwork and Clifton Formwork are both Irish companies.


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    #5
    markymark21
    Registered Users Posts: 595 ✭✭✭markymark21


    Theres a lesson here some where... before you go to Oz, do your research on where your going to work and all the requirements that are needed.. No point in just wading in and hoping for the best!


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    #6
    s.c
    Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭s.c


    markymark21 wrote: »
    Theres a lesson here some where... before you go to Oz, do your research on where your going to work and all the requirements that are needed.. No point in just wading in and hoping for the best!

    Not always as simple as that. Alot to do with what you can get. Nothing wrong with trying to find something better.


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    #7
    markymark21
    Registered Users Posts: 595 ✭✭✭markymark21


    s.c wrote: »
    Not always as simple as that. Alot to do with what you can get. Nothing wrong with trying to find something better.

    I know things can go wrong, but the amount of people I see heading over to Oz thinking its the land of milk and honey and hoping for the best, then you find out after a few weeks they are finding work hard to get, money is running out,they are finding it hard to find some where decent to live and might have to come home.

    I just find it bizarre that people will make the decesion to save thousands of euro and move over without being properly organisated in terms of work, necessary paperwork (safe passes, responsible service of alcohol certificate etc) rent laws, knowledge of transport systems, terms of your visa etc.


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    #8
    8uahg957pc2mev
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭8uahg957pc2mev


    Thanks for the info Bourgeois. And cheers for the link S.C. Looks like some good info there too. I'll have a good read.

    Listen Mark, had I come over here to settle or get into a career or the like, I guess I could have stayed back home and read up/researched on what I would need to get into all the different industries. But I would imagine I would still be reading! Nothing like getting out there and doing it. I've been here 13 months mate. Had four different jobs in different places and travelled most of Queensland and NSW. Its been great! Now I have arrived in Melbourne and am looking into labouring so I can earn better money to continue my travels, 6 months down the line or so.

    Just want to knock heads with some people who can shed a bit of light on the situation for me.


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